On Sunday, June 7, the Tennessee National Guard’s 278th Cavalry Regiment held a change of command ceremony at West High School’s football field in Knoxville. Presided over by Brig. Gen. Steven Turner, Tennessee’s Assistant Adjutant General–Army, the event marked the transition of leadership from Col. Donny Hebel, the regiment’s 17th commander, to Col. Thomas “TJ” Foley.

Since taking command in March 2024, Hebel focused heavily on readiness and domestic emergencies, which included deploying over 600 Guardsmen for the Memphis Safe Task Force and sending over 1,100 Guardsmen to Kuwait and Germany. Foley, a veteran with 28 years of military service and four overseas deployments, steps into the role after recently serving as the Deputy Chief of Staff–Operations at the Joint Force Headquarters in Nashville.

As his first major task, Foley will oversee the regiment’s ongoing transformation from an Armored Brigade Combat Team into a lighter, faster, and more lethal Mobile Brigade Combat Team (MBCT). This modernization aligns with new U.S. Army initiatives by utilizing advanced technologies like Infantry Squad Vehicles, Unmanned Aerial Systems, and Electronic Warfare systems.

While the regiment’s headquarters remain in Knoxville, its units and battalion headquarters continue to be stationed throughout Tennessee in Cookeville, Henderson, and Lebanon.